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Elizabeth: Sloppy But Beautiful

BuzzSugar — Fri, 12 Oct 2007 12:09:23 PDT

Cate Blanchett, in some of the most sumptuous costumes and outrageous hairpieces, can do her best to growl and roar through this follow-up to the 1998 soapy historical piece Elizabeth, but unfortunately she can't save the faulty script and sloppy pacing that is The Golden Age. This is a shame because the more Blanchett and her equally amazing costars (Clive Owen, Geoffry Rush, Abbie Cornish) plunge into this material with all they've got, trying to compensate for the film's many flaws, the more the movie veers into camp. Thus, the mediocrity of this Elizabeth sequel is not Elizabeth's fault. It's everything else, from the uneven direction to the eye-rollingly preposterous "history lite" storylines.

Taking place 27 years into Queen Elizabeth's reign, she is, technically speaking, 52 years old, though you certainly wouldn't know if from looking at the lovely, spry Blanchett. There is a lot going on in Elizabeth's life which starts to resemble a tangled web of melodrama, not unlike an episode of The Young and the Restless. The Queen is now dealing with both a jealous Mary Queen of Scots (Samantha Morton) and a righteous King Philip II of Spain (Jordi Mollà). Add to this mix the roguish explorer Walter Raleigh who needs the Queen's support to continue his expeditions and you've got yourself a slushy spittoon of fantasy/history. To see what I mean,

read more The smart, saucy Queen's getting it from all sides here, strategizing wars and wrestling with her conscience when it comes to approving death sentences. Then, of course, there's her crush on Raleigh who flatters the Queen to her face and seduces her favorite lady-in-waiting, Bess (Cornish) behind closed doors. For a while it looks like the Queen simply can't win, and then, of course, she does, and it's all very neat and tidy. In conversations with other people after the screening, the puzzling question on everyone's lips was "Why?" Why make another Elizabeth movie? It's possible any one of the storylines explored in the film could have made for an intriguing tale. But smashing them all together in one movie simply doesn't work in this case. Thus, there are really just two reasons to see this movie that is so disappointing it hurts my feelings: 1) If your love for Cate Blanchett is so blinding you ignore all other aspects of a film, or 2) to gape at the absolutely marvelous costumes that will surely receive an Oscar nod in '08. Otherwise, rent Elizabeth again and let well enough alone. Source

Fall Movie Preview: Girl Talk

BuzzSugar — Mon, 10 Sep 2007 07:15:00 PDT

Well it's September, folks, and the summertime movie season is officially over. Now we have a whole new crop of films to check out in the coming chillier months, so in preparation for that, I'm giving you little glimpses of this fall and winter's must-see movies with my Fall Movie Preview series. Today's roundup: films for and about the ladies.

Elizabeth: The Golden Age
This absolutely luscious-looking film brings together two gorgeous actors, Cate Blanchett and Clive Owen, for the follow-up to the 1998 period piece Elizabeth. This story follows the Queen Elizabeth's (Blanchett) relationship with Sir Walter Raleigh (Owen). Check out the beautiful trailer before The Golden Age hits theaters October 12.

More lady stuff if you

read more Jane Austen Book Club This upcoming dramedy is exciting to me for these reasons: 1) The Jane Austen theme, and 2) the stellar cast which includes Emily Blunt, Kathy Baker, Maria Bello, Maggie Grace and Hugh Dancy. I read the book on which this is based and was only mildly impressed, so perhaps the story will be more intriguing when brought to life on film. The narrative follows - you guessed it! - a book club in which the reading material is only Jane Austen books. With Austen's stories as a backdrop, we follow along with the real womens' lives - their joys, friendships and heartaches. The Jane Austen Book Club opens September 21, so check out the trailer and see what you think. The Brave One Opening this Friday September 14, The Brave One has Jodie Foster playing radio host Erica Bain who falls victim to a horrific beating that her fiance (Naveen Andrews) does not survive. She purchases a gun and becomes obsessed with finding her attackers. Yet now armed with the gun, she starts to use it on various violent perpetrators she encounters in the city. Terrence Howard plays the official on the hunt for this "vigilante." I'm curious about movies like this that explore the relationship women have with personal violence - and revenge - so I look forward to seeing The Brave One. Margot at the Wedding I've watched the trailer for Margot at the Wedding many times, and somehow I'm still not sick of it. It just looks so real and quirky and touching, and it stars some interesting folks, like Nicole Kidman, Jennifer Jason Leigh and Jack Black. Bonus: it was directed by The Squid and the Whale director Noah Baumbach. Jennifer Jason Leigh and Kidman play sisters: one is the know-it-all with a son (Kidman) while the other is about to marry a schlubby dude. And know-it-all sister can't seem to keep her mouth shut about what she sees as an ill-advised marriage. I look forward to the familial roller coaster when Margot at the Wedding opens October 19. The Brave One image courtesy of Warner Bros. Jane Austen Book Club image source All others source

Diane Kruger Gorgeously Gets the Berlin Film Festival Started

Allie Merriam — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 06:50:07 PST

Diane Kruger kicked off the Berlin International Film Festival fun this morning at a photocall for her new movie Farewell, My Queen. She wore a 10 Crosby by Derek Lam look, which features a skirt worn over a dress. Her French-language picture, which is based on the story of Marie Antoinette during the French Revolution, comes from director Benoît Jacquot. Diane actually stars as Antoinette, opposite Léa Seydoux as her lady-in-waiting. The movie is one of eighteen in contention for the festival's top honor, the Golden Bear. Benoît recently spoke about casting Diane Kruger as Marie Antoinette. He said, "I wanted a foreigner and Diane happens to have similar roots to the queen; she is blond like her and about the same age . . . [Diane had a] desire for this role that was so passionate that she was irresistible to me."

Tori Spelling's Meaty Lasagna Recipe

Tori Spelling — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 12:48:32 PST

We're excited to bring you a new post from mother and actress Tori Spelling! Every other week, we're bringing you the best parenting and lifestyle advice from ediTORIal by Tori Spelling, which is Tori's daily blog about everything from food and fashion to parenting and relationships. This week, Tori shares her favorite lasagna recipe.

I've been making my lasagna recipe since my early 20s. When I moved into my first apartment at age 19, I decided to learn my way around a kitchen and started experimenting with my favorite cuisine, Italian. At first, more spaghetti landed on the ceiling than on the plate, but ultimately, I perfected my go to dish: T's Meaty Lasagna.

It became my good luck dish. I made it for my friends every time one of my TV movies premiered, which back then was a lot. Hey friends, come eat lasagna and watch me get stalked, killed, and shoot a bad pimp. Ahhh, those were the days! Nowadays, I make my lasagna for family and friends whenever we feel like a cozy home cooked meal. This Christmas / New Year’s, we went away to a house in the mountains. We didn't get any snow like expected, but I did make my lasagna dinner! Here's the recipe...

Disclaimer: I've never formally written this recipe down. It's all in my head. So I apologize if I've given it to anyone before and the measurements are slightly different.

Keep reading for Tori's recipes for lasagna, lasagna cupcakes, and garlic bread!

Michelle Williams Shows Skin, Talks Heath in the New GQ

Allie Merriam — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 07:08:56 PST

Michelle Williams showed some skin in lingerie for the Feb. cover of GQ - see all the Michelle Williams in GQ pictures. The actress is fresh off a big win at Sunday's Golden Globes, where she won best actress in a comedy or musical for My Week With Marilyn. She toasted her new statue at The Weinstein Company's afterparty, but was spotted at LAX yesterday afternoon ready to take off for her next adventure. She opened up to the magazine recently about her experiences channeling Marilyn Monroe. Things also got more personal, as Michelle spoke about Heath Ledger, their first meeting, and more. She told GQ:

On why she and Heath were drawn together: "There's an answer that I know, but I don't want to say . . . Our initial meeting, the circumstances of how we first met, were cosmic or something . . . Yeah, a lot of things happened at once. It's a bit like: we had a lot of things to do because we didn't have a lot of time, or something."
On dealing with his death: "Moments that were strung like beads on a thread . . . and they were very far apart from each other. I mean, it sounds so silly, but a just-right cup of tea. I spent a lot of time taking baths. A lot of tea and baths - double warm."
On giving up the idea of giving Matilda a close sibling: "I really wanted, and I really expected or imagined, that Matilda would have siblings that were close to her age. I wanted that for her. But I couldn't make that happen. And now that she's six, that isn't even a possibility anymore. So something that was making me feel impatient, that's been removed. For whatever reason, that's not our luck, or our path."

Golden Globes: Elle Macpherson

FabSugar — Sun, 15 Jan 2012 18:39:43 PST

Elle Macpherson may just be aging backwards. The supermodel stunner arrived at the Golden Globe Awards showing off her enviable figure in a body-hugging Zac Posen gown. Piping and detailing at the bodice highlighted her form, while a fishtailed tulle train amped up the drama - but she didn't hold back on accessories either. To finish, Elle went bold with oversized gold earrings, voluminous waves, Kotur box clutch, and an armful of colorful diamond-encrusted bracelets. How do you think she did?

Vote on all of our Golden Globe Awards polls here!

George Clooney Jokes About Gosling's Globes No Show: "You Know What You Do in Thailand."

Molly Goodson — Sun, 15 Jan 2012 20:43:39 PST

George Clooney brought his charming smile, sense of humor, and girlfriend Stacy Keibler backstage to the press room after winning best actor in a drama at the Golden Globes in LA this evening. His The Descendants also took home best dramatic picture, so it was a triumphant night for George. In between his typical funny quips and jokes, George chatted about going up against his friend Brad Pitt this award season and what he thinks fellow nominee Ryan Gosling is getting up to in Thailand. Check it out:

On any award season rivalry or wagers with Brad: I’ll tell you quite honestly: the truth of the matter is, Brad is my friend. I've never felt competition with him. I've only felt a great deal of friendship and support from him and for him. We don’t wager. We don’t bet. We just look at each other and slap each other on the back and wish each other the best because he's a friend.

On why people connect to this film: Alexander Payne knows how to tell a story. It's a coming-of-age film for a 50-year-old. A lot of us have dealt with issues or people like that. I have people coming up to me all the time. I think it touches a lot of people like that.

On Ryan Gosling being a no-show: He's in Thailand or something, and you know what you do in Thailand. He wrote me a nice email this morning and I found out that he wasn’t able to be here. It happens, you gotta work. He's gotta make a living, he's a struggling actor.

On adopting dogs: I've always had dogs. I've almost always had them out of the pound. Seems like a good place. They have a lot of them. It brings me a lot of joy to do it and they seem like the happiest dogs in the game. I only have one, but he eats for, like, four.

On the honor of being nominated: Both of these films [The Ides of March and The Descendants] being nominated, was three years of work and three years of things that mattered to me. What I really remember and what I do this for is filmmaking. I love being a part of film. I know film history. In 1976 there was All the President's Men, Bound for Glory, Network, Taxi Driver and there was Rocky, which won. But I remember all five of those films. The acknowledgement is unbelievably nice and complimentary, but that’s not why I do it.

Memorable moments from tonight's Globes: Here’s two moments that really struck me: I am in awe of Sidney Poitier. When he walks out on stage and he’s there to present, and he gets the longest standing ovation, earned, I found that to be very emotional to everyone in the audience. And the other is Jane Fonda in that dress. My god. She looked great, didn’t she?

On Ricky's hosting: I thought he did a great job. I think tonight was a much tougher gig because there's so much build-up to it. It's almost like how rough can you go at that point. I thought he handled tonight like a proper good host, again. It was fun. People were expecting a lot of trash talk. He did what he does, and he does it well. He makes me laugh.

On Mitt Romney's anti-gay stance: Well I’m not much concerned until there is an actual nominee, but I think it’s the wrong side of history. I think everyone understand it's the last leg of the civil rights issue. It's certainly not the wedge issue it was in 2004.

Host a Retrospective of Elizabeth Taylor's Career in Your Own Home

Julia Walsh — Wed, 01 Jun 2011 06:00:00 PDT

In collaboration with the Kobal Collection and the Film Society Lincoln Center, New York's Big Eye Gallery is running an exhibition, titled The Golden Age, showcasing rarely seen photographs of Elizabeth Taylor. The photos of the iconic actress were taken by leading Hollywood photographers, including Virgil Apger, Floyd McCarty, Clarence Sinclair Bull, Bob Coburn, and Bob Penn. If you're in Manhattan, you can visit the exhibit at the Frieda and Roy Furman Gallery through June 9. And if not, you're still in luck! Big Eye Gallery is making a limited edition of prints available to the public for purchase, and they can be ordered framed or unframed. I thought I'd share some of my favorites with you. Come take a look!

Rewind: Award Season Is in Full Swing

BuzzSugar — Sat, 17 Dec 2011 03:05:00 PST

Award season is heating up with a series of nomination announcements, starting with the Critics' Choice list, the SAG award nominations and the Golden Globe noms, which we had plenty to say about.
Is it hot in here? We showed you the hottest shirtless pictures from this year's movies, including Ryan Gosling and Henry Cavill.
We supplemented your reading list by letting you know about 14 books you should read before they become movies or TV shows.
Pucker up! From the sweet to the sexy, we gave you the best TV kisses of 2011.
We debated whether Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 or Breaking Dawn Part 1 was the better film.
Tom Cruise does his best rock star impression in the star-studded Rock of Ages trailer.
We got an early look at 2012 Summer blockbusters with a host of trailer releases, including Men in Black 3, G.I. Joe 2: Retaliation, and Jack the Giant Killer.
HBO assured us that Winter is, in fact, still coming in the trailer for Game of Thrones season two.
Hot new posters showed up on the scene, like the dark one-sheet for The Amazing Spider-Man and the intense new poster for The Hunger Games.
We oohed and ahhed over the first pictures of Leonardo DiCaprio and friends in The Great Gatsby.

It's the Golden Age of Elizabeth Premieres

PopSugar — Wed, 24 Oct 2007 07:45:00 PDT

Cate Blanchett continued her world tour of Elizabeth: The Golden Age with a screening at the London Film Festival last night. Once again, Clive Owen was missing, but in his spot was a different British co-star, a Sienna-less Rhys Ifans, as well as Heather Graham. Cate has openly discussed her initial hesitation to reprise the role of Elizabeth, but it became hard to say no once she knew who else was involved. She said, "When I knew that Geoffrey Rush was on board, and Clive Owen was willing to be a part of it, the project as a whole seemed appealing."

Check out more pictures of Cate, Heather, Rhys and more walking the red carpet for Elizabeth so just

View 20 Photos ›

Images include Alan Cumming, Cate Blanchett, Geoffrey Rush, Heather Graham, Jasmine Guinness, Lady Gabriella Windsor, Rhys Ifans, and Victoria Hervey. Source